Beneficial Extracardiac Effects of Cardiovascular Medications

Abstract

: Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide, with cardiovascular medications being amongst the most common medications prescribed. These medications have diverse effects on the heart, vascular system as well as other tissues and organ systems. The extra cardiovascular effects have been found to be of use in the treatment of non-cardiovascular diseases and pathologies. Minoxidil is used to manage systemic hypertension with its well-known side effect of hirsutism used to treat alopecia and baldness. Sildenafil was originally investigated as a treatment option for systemic hypertension however its side effect of penile erection led to it be widely used for erectile dysfunction. Alpha-1 blockers such as terazosin are indicated to treat systemic hypertension but are more commonly used for benign prostatic hyperplasia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Beta blockers are the mainstay treatment for congestive heart failure and systemic hypertension but have found use to help in patients with intention tremors as well as prophylaxis of migraines. Similarly, calcium channel blockers are indicated in medical expulsion therapy for ureteric calculi in addition to their cardiovascular indications. Thiazides are commonly used for treating systemic hypertension and as diuretics. Thiazides can cause hypocalciuria and hypercalcemia. This side effect has led to thiazides being used to treat idiopathic hypercalciuria and associated nephrolithiasis. Spironolactone is commonly utilized in treating heart failure and as a diuretic for edema. It’s well described anti-androgen side effects have been used for acne vulgaris and hirsutism in polycystic ovarian syndrome. This review article discusses how the various extra-cardiovascular effects of commonly used cardiovascular medications are put to use in managing non-cardiovascular conditions.

Genetic predictors of lifelong medication-use patterns in cardiometabolic diseases

“…However, our quantitative phenotypes grouped together different medications and our binary trajectory design was dose independent, and we show the robust association between the underlying cardiovascular risk and the medication patterns even without adjustment for dosage. In addition, because of widespread off-label use and additional indications for many of the studied medications 48 , not all purchases were to treat cardiometabolic conditions, but our key findings display the association between the cardiometabolic risk and the studied medication patterns.…”

Aerosolized ⍺1adrenoreceptor antagonism does not affect experimentally induced lung fibrosis in animal models

“…Terazosin is a specific ⍺ 1 -AR antagonist [50] that has been approved for use for decades in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and hypertension, and has a well-established safety profile [51, 52]. Its long half-life makes it well suited for once daily administration [53].…”

“…In contrast, systemic administration of terazosin is more likely to achieve therapeutic levels for ⍺1-AR antagonism in fibrotic foci. Created with BioRender.com Terazosin is a specific ⍺1-AR antagonist [50] that has been approved for use for decades in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia and hypertension, and has a well-established safety profile [51,52]. Its long half-life makes it well suited for once daily administration [53].…”

Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia: What Is Available and What Is Coming?

“…Spironolactone is a synthetic aldosterone receptor antagonist that has been used off-label for various dermatological conditions [ 85 , 86 , 87 ]. It inhibits circulating testosterone by occupying the androgen receptor and thereby displacing androgenic metabolites such as 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, thus limiting the nuclear translocation and subsequent transcriptional activation by androgen receptor.…”